Friday, January 29, 2010

Richard Freeman has a good, new post on the lake-monsters of Wisconsin. As Rich says:

"In one of my earliest blogs I wrote about cryptid material turning up in museums and the possibility of unlabelled or ‘lost’ material in collections around the world. In the state of Wisconsin some strange material, possibly related to a lake monster, was uncovered not once but twice. The Winnebago Indians believed in two distinct types of dragon-like monster inhabiting lakes. The WakTcexi was a paranormal entity and was evil. The Winnebozho was flesh and blood, and benign. There are a number of ‘monster lakes’ in the state but this story is linked to two in particular. Lake Mendota is close to Wisconsin’s capital, Madison. Sightings of the creatures date back to the 1860s. W.J. Park and his wife were boating on the lake when they came across what looked like a large log. Mr Park poked the ‘log’, which dived, churning up the water. Lake Mendota is linked to Lake Monona via the Yahara River. Monsters are seen here too. In July 1892 the wonderfully named Darwin Boehmer and a friend were boating on the lake when they saw the monster swimming off towards Ott’s Spring with an undulating motion. It showed 14 feet of its back above the surface."

Also: take a look at The Anomalist of the last two days. You'll find links to posts on such critters as ghostly black-dogs; rock-apes; Bigfoot; the Chupacabras; and what sound very much like wild wolves in England.

Hopefully, by sometime next week I will have finally wrapped up 2 of the 3 books for which I'm fast approaching deadline-day; and so after that I'll have more time to devote to posting lengthier stories here, and to get things back on an even-keel!

Lindsay Selby: Lake Voronta Beast Cryptozoology Online. Beginning a search for lake monster tales, Lindsay Selby starts with reports that are extremely difficult to determine, since they deal with a lake in Siberia that's situated 100 miles from the nearest town. Nonetheless, some serious individuals, possessing impeccable credentials, have reported the presence of a large creature of indeterminate species in the waters of this remote lake. Selby chronicles the reports of the elusive...and isolated...monster reported to inhabit a remote lake in an area of Russia still vastly under-explored. Elsewhere, Mike Dash has something to say about lake monsters, too, as well as the proliferation of certain local legends concerning bodies of water, in 'The Lake That Has No Bottom...'. Meanwhile, another type of monster, long relegated to the halls of myth and legend, has inspired another search, as reported in Richard Muirhead: Muirhead's Mysteries: The Dragons of Sussex - Part One.

Check this new development from Neil Arnold, which sounds like it will be an excellent venture!

Starting Monday February 8th - 7:30pm to 9:30pm - Neil Arnold will be conducting 'Monster Walks' around parts of London. With the help of London Paranormal who run regular ghost and history walks throughout the capital, the London 'Monster Walks' will see full-time folklorist Neil Arnold introduce us to a menagerie of mysterious beasts within the concrete jungle. The tour will stop off at various points in the City which are ornamented with monstrous images, and with each image a story will be applied.

Neil will speak of serpents, big cats, griffins, giant fish, bears, phantom hounds, all sighted throughout the capital. He'll also speak of the Highgate 'vampire', Spring-Heeled Jack and the London 'mermaid' hoax. A surreal safari indeed.

Just when you thought it was safe to not go in the woods, the London 'Monster Walk' will bring the beasts of London lore into the streets.

PRESS RELEASE 2010From the people who bring you THE LONDON GHOST FESTIVAL

Tours of terror, spill the beans on London’s dark, gruesome and haunting pastWoven into London’s vibrant and bloody history is a plethora of ghosts and supernatural creatures hiding within its shadows of folklore and legend. Scratch the surface and the stories come to life as they bleed into our modern culture. Phantasmagoria events are pleased to introduce a series of three specifically devised "Haunted History Walks" around some of London's most haunted and historical areas exploring some of the capitals most horrid history, petrifying ghost stories and mythical beasts.

Friday, January 22, 2010

There's no doubt that one of the best shows on all-things mysterious is Tim Binnall'sBinnall of America. And the new edition is no exception, as the guest is Brit Adam Davies, author of the crypto-book, Extreme Expeditions.

Extreme explorer Adam Davies returns to BoA:Audio to give us an update on his two big expeditions from 2009: a trip to Nepal searching for the Yeti and to Sumatra looking for the OrangPendek. We'll cover the perilous conditions of the Himalayan trip which was showcased as a two-hour MonsterQuest special, the responsibilities of leading a massive expedition, how the trip changed Adam's views on the Yeti, and behind the scenes notes on the trip and special. Then we'll cover his Fall 2009 journey to Sumatra in search of the OrangPendek. We'll find out how the trip came about, the amazing OrangPendek sighting that members of his team had, the Sumatran culture in relation to the mystery cryptid, and tons more.

One of cryptozoology's most daring researchers, Adam Davies, provides an up close and personal look at his ground-breaking research of the past year.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Last week, the CFZ'sOll Lewis interviewed me on a variety of cryptozoological issues, including how I got interested in the subject, my favourite books, and more. This is part of an on-going project that Oll has established to interview numerous people within the crypto-field.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Once again the dark woods of England's Cannock Chase have been the location of another weird creature encounter. In this new case - that has quite literally just surfaced - the witness describes seeing a wolf-like animal the size of a lioness!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Today's Anomalist is a veritable Bigfoot-fest, with 5 or 6 good, new stories of the Sasquatch kind! As you'll note, my posts are a bit brief here this week. The reason: a couple of book deadlines that are taking up most of my time. But, I'll be blogging back at full-strength here shortly!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Over at today's Anomalist, you can find a link to a very interesting article from Dr. Karl Shuker on the mystery animals of New Guinea (including a Bigfoot-type creature), which is definitely worth a read!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

As I noted in the blog-post below, this past weekend I was speaking about all-things cryptozoological at the Ghosts of Cooperstown, NY gig.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned that just up the road from the hotel where the event was being held is the Farmer's Museum; which is home to the (very!) infamous Cardiff Giant.

The caper of the Cardiff Giant is a truly strange and convoluted one filled with all manner of entertaining twists and turns. If you don't know the story of the giant-man (or, rather, the giant-hoax), click here for all the weird details.

The photo that accompanies this post was taken by me at around 11.00 PM on Saturday night when the temperature had plummeted to what felt like previously unrecorded levels - both inside and out!!

Well, I got back home late last night after speaking on a whole variety of cryptids (including the Owlman, the Goatman, Bigfoot and werewolves) at the Ghosts of Cooperstown, NY gig, which was a lot of fun and very informative.

Of course, in the 5 days I have been away, a number of good and intriguing crypto stories have surfaced, so I urge you to check out the CFZ's blog; Cryptomundo; and The Anomalistfor the latest news.

There's a wealth of material, so going direct to the sources is probably going to be quicker than you having to wait for me to do separate posts on everything that's afoot!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I'm going offline now, as this coming weekend (Jan. 8 to 11), I'll be lecturing on the subject of my book, There's Something in the Woods at the Ghosts of Cooperstown, NY conference, the details of which can be found here. I'll be back on Tuesday, so have a good weekend!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The End of Nessie: Researchers Fear Loch Ness Monster May Be DeadDR. Reports from Scotland indicate the rumors over the past several years that the Loch Ness Monster may have gone on to the big lake in the sky have tourism officials worried. Members of the official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club are dismayed over the declining number of Nessie sightings. Only one credible sighting was reported in 2009, but some sonar readings of a large body moving through Loch Ness have been made on several occasions. There's more on recent Nessie sightings in Loch Ness Monster Death Rumours Denied. Elsewhere on the cryptozoology scene, famed cryptozoologist and author Loren Coleman injects a bit of naughty into the "Noughties" with The Top Ten Sexiest Cryptomundo Images of the '00s. With many images.

Jon Downes gives us the lowdown on the new issue of the CFZ's annual Yearbook:

"Well, the Yearbook is now finished - admittedly, five days after it should have been. It only remains to be seen whether - with the intermitttent broadband that we have at the moment as a result of the inclement weather - if it uploads properly today."

Monday, January 4, 2010

I couldn't, of course, let a new year begin without highlighting for you a few intriguing new posts from our good friends at The Anomalist:

Sylvanic Bigfoot, What's the Story?GhostTheory. Some videos, claims of a secret valley in the Rockies and a claim the valley is peopled by Bigfoot. Javier Ortega carefully avoids any strong opinion of the claims made by Todd Standing that he and his companions know the whereabouts of a multitude of Bigfoot creatures in North America's most storied mountain range. Could Standing's claims be true? Why won't Standing take biologists to this mysterious valley? With videos. Elsewhere, curious remains lead to the report Demon Cat Possible Goat Sucker. With photos.

Cryptid Sighting - Garrett County, MD - 12/16/09Phantoms & Monsters. A woman living near Grantsville in western Maryland describes what she saw while returning from a holiday party in the early post-midnight hours on December 16. What could the creature be that this lady encountered in western Maryland? That's a question for cryptozoologists, of course. But cryptozoologists don't always get to check out exotic beasts like the one prowling 'round a garbage can in Maryland.

Canadian in Utah to Seek 'Strange Creatures Seldom Seen'Deseret News. Meet John Warms, a retired school teacher who resides in Manitoba, Canada. Warms is on a quest to discover some of the many anomalous creatures he has heard about so he can write a book about them. He also says he once observed a giant beaver in a Canadian waterway and thinks he has discovered some of the 445-pound creatures' lairs. Does a giant beaver, relic of the Pleistocene, inhabit Canadian lakes and streams?

This coming weekend (Jan. 8 to 11), I'll be speaking about my book, There's Something in the Woods at the Ghosts of Cooperstown, NY gig, details of which can be found here. If you're coming along, say hello!

Well, the holiday is now well and truly over, so it's back to normal here. And here's wishing everyone a happy new year!

So, let's get back to it!

As many of you may know, Jon Downes embarked upon an ambitious project about 18 months ago to publish a series of books (titled The Mystery Animals of the British Isles) that would cover each and every one of the many and varied counties in the British Isles.

The latest is an excellent one titled The Mystery Animals of the British Isles: The Western Isles and is written by Glen Vaudrey.

As The Real Men in Black demonstrates, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, and perhaps even the legendary "Thunderbird Photograph" have attracted the attention of the MIB.

And, in a real scoop, I detail in my book the very creepy MIB encounter of legendary cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman himself...

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WOODS: A Transatlantic Hunt for Monsters and the Mysterious

Contains the latest news on Bigfoot, Werewolves, The Thunderbird, Devil-Dogs, Big-Cats, and much more. For all the details, including purchase-information, click on the book-cover image above, or check out: http://www.anomalistbooks.com/redfern2.html

MONSTERS OF TEXAS

NOW AVAILABLE (Click on the book-cover for more information)

MAN-MONKEY: In Search Of The British Bigfoot

"This book is an important contribution to the annals of furry, upright creature lore and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in unidentified animals," Linda Godfrey, author of "The Beast of Bray Road" and "Hunting the American Werewolf."

MEMOIRS OF A MONSTER HUNTER: A Five-Year Journey In Search Of The Unknown

"This is one of the best books I've read in years," Joshua P. Warren, author of "Pet Ghosts" and "How to Hunt Ghosts."

CONFESSIONS OF A MONSTER HUNTER

I am the author of many books, including "A Covert Agenda;" "The FBI Files;" "Cosmic Crashes;" "Strange Secrets (with Andy Roberts);" "Three Men Seeking Monsters;" "Body Snatchers in the Desert;" "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies;" "Celebrity Secrets;" "Man-Monkey;" "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter;" "There's Something in the Woods;" "Science Fiction Secrets;" "Contactees;" "Monsters of Texas" (with Ken Gerhard); "Final Events;" "The NASA Conspiracies;" "Space Girl Dead on Spaghetti Junction;" "The Real Men in Black" and "Keep Out!"
Proudest achievement: knowing all the lyrics to every one of the songs recorded by The Macc Lads.
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